Composting when you have chickens

[brandichick]

I am just starting to compost and am wondering if I can add food scraps and garden clippings to the compost that I would not normally give to the chickens ( and that are on the lists of toxic to chickens) ? Once it is all broken down, would it still be harmful to them? They pretty much free range in my yard all day so I don't want to hurt them.

Thanks!

 

[GitaBooks]

I'm not sure. Composting with chickens is awesome, but I did hear once that a chicken got into a compost pile and ate a raw potato and ended up dying from it. You might want to put some fencing around the compost pile. However, if it is all broken down into dirt it should be safe.

Best of luck!

 

[brandichick]

Yes, it is all contained in a compost bin with a lid. I did just remember reading that chickens are actually good for scratching and turning the compost, so it's a bit confusing. I'll just play it safe for now and leave out anything I am not sure about.
Thanks for your reply

 

[UrbanFarmOC]

We have 1 large open compost bin and 1 closed bin. Chickens are pretty good about knowing what they can eat. For my closed compost bin, I put stuff like paper/ paper towels (don't want chickens shredding them and have it fly all over yard) and things I don't want them to eat, like stale cupcakes or something else I don't want them to eat (don't let them eat stuff that's overly sweetened or salted). For example, if I suspect something of botulism, I throw in closed bin. Generally throwing in green waste (yard clippings, things from garden) and food scraps are fine.
As compost breaks down, chickens will scratch and eat the bugs that help break down compost. It's a great system and example of Mother Nature doing her thing.

Chickens are very good at turning compost! They lovemy compost piles. They even try to get to my closed bin. They get super-excited when I toss things in there.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Once it is broken down it is extremely safe. Composting takes things back to basic components, breaks it down chemically. Don’t worry about this at all once it is composted.

Many of us throw things in the compost that chickens should not have, give the chickens access to the compost, and don’t have problems. It’s always possible you could have problems but chickens are really good about not eating things harmful to them. Dosage is another important factor. Generally one bite won’t harm them. They normally have to eat a fair amount at one time or maybe even a fair amount over a period of several days or even weeks for cumulative damage to occur.

While it is possible that they could get something in the compost that harms them, usually they don’t. I’ve never had a problem with it and I throw lots of things in there they should not have. They are really good at finding things they can eat in there and turning the compost.

 

[brandichick]

Thanks everybody for all the info! It answered so many of my questions

 

[shortgrass]

I have to add a tip that might come in handy here,.... a problem that cropped up for me, just this year because of way higher than average rain in May, my compost turned in to gnat grand central.... I use redworms in my pile, and the chickens scratch in it (which does help a ton) not to mention it goes in my garden, so I didn't want to put anything chemical on it... I use a gnat control nematode indoors, so I tossed it on the compost too... It won't hurt anything except the gnats, which I'm sure we all deal with ..
Check it out if you can't stand those pesky buggers
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007X...+nematodes&dpPl=1&dpID=51IFb3DyiML&ref=plSrch

 

[brandichick]

Thank you!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd not be concerned about chickens and the stuff you put in your compost. And the anecdote about the chicken dying b/c it ate a potato in the compost pile... without an autopsy, and even then, how could one be certain that it was the "potato" that killed the chicken, and not something else? That being said, anything truly stinky and gone bad, goes in my tumbler or gets buried directly in my garden. Chickens were made to make and turn compost!

 

[GitaBooks]

I'd not be concerned about chickens and the stuff you put in your compost. And the anecdote about the chicken dying b/c it ate a potato in the compost pile... without an autopsy, and even then, how could one be certain that it was the "potato" that killed the chicken, and not something else? That being said, anything truly stinky and gone bad, goes in my tumbler or gets buried directly in my garden. Chickens were made to make and turn compost!

I agree with what you are saying.

However, the story I heard was of a chicken that was autopsied and they found an undigested piece of potato in it.